On Monday, October 13th, 2025, Salad Group, a social purpose fintech company, announced the appointment of former Klarna UK CEO Alex Marsh as their new Group CEO. The company, which includes the UK’s largest consumer lending Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI), is looking to Marsh to drive their next phase of growth and impact.
Since its inception in 2019, Salad Group has been at the forefront of using Open Banking data and proprietary credit decisioning software to provide affordable loans to underserved customers in the UK. This innovation has enabled the company to scale rapidly, providing over £200 million in loans to more than 150,000 customers. With over 10,000 five-star Trustpilot reviews, Salad Group has also earned industry-leading trust scores.
Financial inclusion is a major and growing challenge in the UK, with over 20 million consumers underserved and more than 5.6 million ‘credit invisible.’ Leveraging their unique model, Salad Group is able to underwrite loans based on real-time financial data, bypassing traditional credit scores. This has been crucial in helping rehabilitate customers by reporting their successful repayments to all the major credit reference agencies, allowing them to rebuild their credit scores and return to mainstream lenders.
With the Government set to publish its Financial Inclusion Strategy next month and the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget likely to place further strain on household finances, Salad Group is uniquely positioned to address the growing challenge of UK adults with thin, or non-existent credit files.
In his new role as Group CEO, Marsh will oversee and scale the company’s core propositions: Salad Finance, the personal loans business, and Salad Technologies, the group’s proprietary technology platform. He will also focus on new ventures within Salad Affinity, diversifying the lending product portfolio, developing new services focused on credit-building, and assessing market opportunities beyond the UK.
Marsh brings with him a wealth of experience, having progressed from UK Chief Financial Officer to UK CEO at Klarna, helping to steer the business as it shaped Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) regulation. He joined Salad Group in 2023, first as Non-Executive Director and then Chair of the Salad Finance Board.
Commenting on his appointment, Alex Marsh, CEO of Salad Group, said: “My passion for Salad’s mission has only deepened over the last two years. We’re not just providing one-off access to finance; we’re using long-overdue technological innovation to genuinely improve the financial health of consumers locked out of mainstream financial services. The millions struggling to access affordable credit is a crisis that’s only getting worse. It’s time to recognise the immense economic value in bringing them back into the financial system, and I’m thrilled to lead Salad Group in meeting this critical demand.”
Alan Campbell, Chair of Salad Group, added: “We’re delighted to welcome Alex in his new role. Not only does he bring with him unrivalled expertise of the consumer credit market but deep experience of helping technology-led businesses scale at pace and a genuine passion for supporting consumers underserved by mainstream providers. His vision and leadership will be invaluable as we continue to scale origination and diversify our proposition to ensure that, at a time when household finances have never been more stretched, consumers can access the products and services they so desperately need and deserve.”
In conclusion, Salad Group comprises Salad Holdings Ltd, the parent company of its core propositions: Salad Finance, the personal loans business; Salad Technologies, the group’s proprietary technology platform; and Salad Affinity, which oversees a number of new ventures. Salad Finance is the FCA regulated consumer credit provider and CDFI, using Open Banking technology to provide fair, affordable lending. Salad Technologies is a Registered Account Information Service Provider (RAISP) and develops the unique Open Banking platform that powers the group’s lending decisions.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.